Vehicle wheel



J. H. WAGENHORST VEHICLE WHEEL iled Deo. 5.. 1927 W amsn, 5

July 4, 1933.

Patented July 4, 1933 mura- D STA TV1-:s

JAMES H. WAGENEORST, JACKSON, MICHIGAN Application led December This invention relates to improvements in vehicle wheels, and has to do, more partiellylarly, with wheelsprovided with demountable rims. My invention is an improvement upon the construction shown and claimed in U. Letters Patent, No. 1,628,626, for vehicle wheels issued to me May 10, 1927.

The chief object of my present invention is to provide an improved and simplified wheel.

l" construction for automobiles, in which the unsprungweight of the automobilelis largely reduced du'e to the decrease in the weight of the wheel structure, without any accompanying loss in strength yor durability. *An ob- 5 ject of the present invention is to provide a wheel structure in which a demountable rim,

7 of .the type provided -with a gutter adapted to receive a detachable side fiange,`is detachl ably connected directly to a brake drum zl mounted on a hub. `A furtherv object of my invention is to provide a demountable rim having an improved gutter construction whigh affords means for attachingV securing l d lugs theretoin a stronger and more satisfacu tory manner. v.Another object of my invention is to provide an improved connection betweenthe securing lugs andthe brake drum. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved means for attaching a brake I drum to the hub'of a wheel, which results in a better looking structure and one which can be manufactured cheaply and is strong and durable.

tails and economies of construction and operation` will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, I have accomplished the objects of my invention by the devices and means set forth .in the following specification. MyA invention visclearly delined andpointed out-1in the appended claims. A structure'constituting ai preferred embodiment ofmy invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, foyrminga part `of this specilication, inw-hich:

G Figure 1 isa-yertCal, secti'onal `lview through a wheel embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, in front elevation, of the wheel shown in Figure 1; d

Further objects, and objects relating'to de- 5, 1927. serial No. 237521..

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.; and I Flg. l is an enlarged, detail, sectional view showing the brakedrum, one of the securing 4 bolts'and the connections between lsuch bolt and oneof the securing lugs. v

In the drawing, the same reference numerals refer tofthejsame'parts throughout the specification, and the sectional view is taken Y lookingV in the direction of the arrows at the ends ofthe section line.

Referring tothe numbered parts of the drawing, in which I have illustrated a wheel structure constituting one embodiment of my invention, I have shown a hub 10 provided with a rearwardly-inclined, annular flange 11, which forms a frusto-conicalgseating surface on said hub. The brake drum l2 is provided with a rear stil'ening flange 13, and the side wall 14 o the brake drum has a central-opening, through 'which the hub 10 is inserted. The central portion of this side wall is forwardly dished'\ so as to provide the portion 16, which lits dyer the barrel of the hub, and the truste-conical portion 15, which seats upon the frusto-conical seatingV ksurfaceformed by the hub flange 11. Rivets 17, inserted through the portions-15 of the side wall and through the flange 11, secure the brake drum to the hub. 4

The demountable,tire-carrying, rim 18 has a portion ofthe rim base, near its rear edge, bent inwardly, as at19,` then laterally, as at 20, and then outwardly, as at21, forming a gutter which isadapted to receive a detachable side liange for ring 22, which is transversely split at 35. The port-ion 20 of the rim f base, forming the gutter, is comparatively j broad and provides a relatively broad cylindrical surfacebf less4 internal diameter than the base` of the rim. This relatively broad cylindrical seating surface is engagedp'by the outer surfaces of a series of securing lugs 23, feach of which has a relatively broad outer portion lseating against the cylindrical portin 20. ,Integral rivetingstuds 25, Von said securing lugs, extend through holes in the cylindrical portion 20 of the gutter and are riveted over within the gutter, as at 26, wh e/lSm by said securing lugs are rigidly attached to the rim in the gutter thereof. "f

Each securing lug 23 has an inwardly extending portion, which is o'set, as 'at 27, to provide a shoulder seating on the outer periphery of the brake drum. rlhe inwardly extending portion of the `securing' lug 23 has a bolt hole 28 therein, somewhat larger in diameter than the bolt which is to extend through it, and is provided with a rearwardly facing conical recess 29. A plurality of securing bolts 30 are carried by the side Wall of the brake drum, near the periphery thereof, and extend parallel to the axis of the hub. Each of these securing bolts has its front end screw threaded and is pro- Y vided with a forwardly-facing conical shoulder 31, in the rear of said threaded portion. Each bolt 30 is inserted through a hole in the side Wall of the brake drum and has its rear end upset at 33, whereby the shoulder 31 is' drawn tightly against the front wall-of the brake drum and the bolt is securely fastened in position.

rl`he demountable rim is mounted in po sition upon the brake drum with the offset portions 27 of the securing lugs seating on j the periphery of the brake drum and the conical shoulders 31 on the securing bolts fitting in the conical recesses 29 of the securing lugs. The threaded portionsfof the securing bolts 30 extend through the bolt holes 28, and nuts 34, screwed on the forward ends of said bolts, engage the securing lugs and maintain the demountable rim seated upon .the periphery of the brake drum. Openings 36 are provided between the cylindrical base portion 2O of the gutter and the periphery of the brake drum and these openings permit Vair to pass around the brake drum to cool it and also allow the dirt and Water to clean itself out from between the gutter portion of the demountable rim and the brake drum.

lt will be observed that the cylindrical l base portion 20 of the gutter provides a relatively broad surface, against which the outer portions of the securing lugs seat, said portions being tightly'drawn against this cylindrical base the riveting over within the gutter of the riveting studs 25. This provides a very strong/and satisfactory connection between the securing lugs and the gutter portion of a demountable rim.' lt willlbe ob-` served that, in the construction illustrated, load, side-thrustv and torque are transmitted from the hub of the wheel to the demountable rim, and vice versa, directly through the brake drum without the interpositio of any felly or spoke structure, such as lias been cus-v tomary heretofore. This results in a very great reduction in weight and cost and reduces the unsprung weight ofthe automo-` .is transmitted to"` the brake drum, both by reime? the seating of the odset portions 27 ofy the lugs upon the periphery of the brake drum, and through the engagement of the conical shoulders 31 on the bolts in the conical recesses 29 provided in the securinglugs. This makes a very satisfactory demountable connection between the rim and the brake drum.

l am aware that the construction illustrated and described herein may be changed considerably without departing from the spirit of my invention and, therefore, l claim my invention broadly, as indicated by the appended claims.

l/Vhat l claim is:

1. A vehicle wheel comprising a demountable rim having a plurality of short apertured lugs attached to and extendin radially inwardly from the inboard edge o? the rim base, a hub, a brake drum of substantially the same diameter as the rim base secured to said hub, a plurality of bolts attached to the side- Wall of said braledrum adjacent its periphery and extending through the apertures'of said lugs, and nuts threaded upon said bolts and securing said rim to the side wall of said brakedruin.

2. A vehicle wheel comprising a demountable rim having a plurality of short aper tured lugs attached to and extending yradially inwardly from the inboard edge of the rim base, a hub, a brakedrum secured to said h ub, the diameter of said brakedrum being just Y under the diameter of said rim base so that when said rim and brakedrum are assembledl contact with the rim base, a plurality of bolts` attached to the sidewall of said brakedrum adjacent its periphery and extending through the apertures ofsaid lugs, and nuts .threaded upon said bolts and securing said rim to the sidewall of said brake'drum.

j, 3. A vehicle wheel comprising a able rim having its base provided with an annular channel portion extending radially inwardly. of the tire-supporting portions e proper of the rim, a plurality of short apertured lugs attached to said channel portion and extending radially inwardly rom the inboard side of the rim base, ahub, a brakedrum securedto said hub the diameter of said brakedrum being just under the diameter of the channel portion of said rim base so that when said rim and brakedrum are assembled concentrically, the sidewall of the brakedrum l demountitself substantially lls the space outlined by the rim yet is out of direct heat-transferringl Contact with the rim base, a. plurality of bolts attached to the sidewall ofsaid brakedrum adjacent its periphery and extending through the apertures of said lugs, and nutsthreaded upon said bolts and securing said rim to the sidewall of said brakedrum. f

4. A vehicle wheel comprising a demountable rim having its base provided with an annular channel portion extending radially inwardly of -the tire-supporting portions proper of the rim, a plurality of shortv apertured lugs extending radially inwardly from the inboard side of the rim base and attached thereto by rivet portions the heads of which are received in the depression'of said channel portion of the rim base, a hub, a brakedrum secured to said hub, the diameter vof said brakedrum being just under the diameter of the channel portion 'of said rim base so that when said rim and brakedrurn are assembled concentrically, the sidewall of the drum,

' JAMES H. WAGENHORST. 

